קָנָא
𐤒𐤍𐤀
qânâʼ
H7065 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be zealous, ardently passionate, or deeply committed, often manifested as intense emotion or action on behalf of a person, group, or cause; to display strong feelings of advocacy or protection, which, depending on context, may be positive (enthusiastic devotion or commitment) or negative (jealousy, envy, rivalry, or indignation). The verb is used for both human and divine emotions, involving the defense of exclusive relationships or rights, including that of a spouse or deity.
Semantic Range
to be zealous (positive devotion), to be jealous (protective exclusivity), to be envious (resentful desire), to express passionate commitment, to be indignant, to compete (in rivalry), to provoke to zeal or jealousy
Root / Etymology
From the root קנא, which at its core means 'to be zealous' or 'to feel strong emotion.' The verb קָנָא derives directly from this root and describes the action of experiencing or expressing zeal, jealousy, or envy. It is a denominative root—related to the noun קִנְאָה (qin'ah, 'zeal, jealousy').
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Biblical Hebrew, קָנָא is used for a wide spectrum of strong emotional reactions—from laudable zeal (Num 25:11, Phinehas' zeal for YHWH) to problematic jealousy (Num 5:14, a husband suspicious of his wife), and also negative envy (Gen 30:1, Rachel envied Leah). The term applies both to human emotions and to the passionate, exclusive claim that YHWH asserts over Israel—often translated as 'jealous' but meaning zealous in defense of a relationship (Exod 20:5; Deut 4:24). Later religious and translation traditions often rendered קָנָא as 'jealous,' which can obscure the positive dimensions of righteous zeal in certain contexts. Over time, usage shifts somewhat: earlier texts primarily associate it with God's exclusive claim (zeal), while later or wisdom texts may reflect more interpersonal jealousy or rivalry. Related roots: חָמַד (ḥāmad, 'to desire, covet') focuses on desirous longing, not the protective or exclusive emotion of קָנָא. English 'jealous' fails to capture the positive sense of intensely protective zeal present in the Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) zealous, i.e. (in a bad sense) jealous or envious; (be) envy(-ious), be (move to, provoke to) jealous(-y), [idiom] very, (be) zeal(-ous).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
קנא (qânâʼ) — to be zealous, to be jealous, to be envious
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7067 | קַנָּא | zealously protective |
| H7068 | קִנְאָה | in my ardent zeal |
| H7072 | קַנּוֹא | intensely zealous |
Word Forms
17 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7065-07 |
קִנֵּ֜אתִי | qineti | HVpp1cs |
I am jealous | I have been zealous | I have been zealous | 6 |
H7065-09 |
תְּ֭קַנֵּא | teqane | HVpj2ms |
be envious | may you be zealous | be envious | 4 |
H7065-12 |
וַ/יְקַנְא֣וּ | vayeqaneu | HC/Vpw3mp |
his brothers envied | and they grew jealous | and they grew jealous | 4 |
H7065-14 |
וְ/קִנֵּ֥א | veqine | HC/Vpp3ms |
and he is jealous | and he acted zealously | and he was jealous | 3 |
H7065-05 |
קַנֹּ֨א | qano | HVpa |
very | zealous | zealous | 2 |
H7065-16 |
יַקְנִאֻ֖/הוּ | yaqeniuhu | HVhi3mp/Sp3ms |
they aroused his jealousy | they will provoke him to zeal | they provoked him to jealousy | 2 |
H7065-17 |
יְקַנֵּ֣א | yeqane | HVpi3ms |
let envy | he will be zealously aroused | let be zealous | 2 |
H7065-01 |
אַקְנִיאֵ֣/ם | aqeniem | HVhi1cs/Sp3mp |
will-provoke-them-to-jealousy | I will provoke them to zeal | will provoke them to jealousy | 1 |
H7065-02 |
בְּ/קַנְא֥/וֹ | beqaneo | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
in-his-zeal | in his zealous passion | in his zealous passion | 1 |
H7065-03 |
בְּ/קַנֹּאת֥/וֹ | beqanoto | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
in his zeal for | in his zealous passion | in his zeal | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
33 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7065-12 |
Genesis 26:14 | וַ/יְקַנְא֥וּ | vayeqaneu | HC/Vpw3mp |
so that ... envied | and they grew jealous | and they grew jealous |
H7065-10 |
Genesis 30:1 | וַ/תְּקַנֵּ֥א | vateqane | HC/Vpw3fs |
envied | she became intensely zealous | she was jealous |
H7065-12 |
Genesis 37:11 | וַ/יְקַנְאוּ | vayeqaneu | HC/Vpw3mp |
his brothers envied | and they grew jealous | and they were jealous |
H7065-14 |
Numbers 5:14 | וְ/קִנֵּ֥א | veqine | HC/Vpp3ms |
and he is jealous | and he acted zealously | and he was jealous |
H7065-14 |
Numbers 5:14 | וְ/קִנֵּ֣א | veqine-2 | HC/Vpp3ms |
and he is jealous | and he acted zealously | and he was jealous |
H7065-14 |
Numbers 5:30 | וְ/קִנֵּ֣א | veqine | HC/Vpq3ms |
and he is jealous | and he acted zealously | and he became jealous |
H7065-04 |
Numbers 11:29 | הַֽ/מְקַנֵּ֥א | hameqane | HTi/Vprmsa |
are you jealous | the fervently zealous one | are you zealous |
H7065-02 |
Numbers 25:11 | בְּ/קַנְא֥/וֹ | beqaneo | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
in-his-zeal | in his zealous passion | in his zealous passion |
H7065-06 |
Numbers 25:13 | קִנֵּא֙ | qine | HVpp3ms |
he was zealous | he acted zealously | he acted zealously |
H7065-16 |
Deuteronomy 32:16 | יַקְנִאֻ֖/הוּ | yaqeniuhu | HVhi3mp/Sp3ms |
They provoked Him to jealousy | they will provoke him to zeal | they provoked him to zeal |
H7065-08 |
Deuteronomy 32:21 | קִנְא֣וּ/נִי | qineuni | HVpp3cp/Sp1cs |
provoked-me-to-jealousy | they made me jealous | made me jealous |
H7065-01 |
Deuteronomy 32:21 | אַקְנִיאֵ֣/ם | aqeniem | HVhi1cs/Sp3mp |
will-provoke-them-to-jealousy | I will provoke them to zeal | will provoke them to jealousy |
H7065-03 |
2 Samuel 21:2 | בְּ/קַנֹּאת֥/וֹ | beqanoto | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
in his zeal for | in his zealous passion | in his zeal |
H7065-12 |
1 Kings 14:22 | וַ/יְקַנְא֣וּ | vayeqaneu | HC/Vpw3mp |
they provoked | and they grew jealous | and they provoked to jealousy |
H7065-05 |
1 Kings 19:10 | קַנֹּ֨א | qano | HVpa |
very | zealous | zealous |
H7065-07 |
1 Kings 19:10 | קִנֵּ֜אתִי | qineti | HVpp1cs |
I have been zealous | I have been zealous | I have been zealous |
H7065-05 |
1 Kings 19:14 | קַנֹּ֨א | qano | HVpa |
very | zealous | zealous |
H7065-07 |
1 Kings 19:14 | קִנֵּ֜אתִי | qineti | HVpp1cs |
I have been zealous | I have been zealous | I have been zealous |
H7065-17 |
Isaiah 11:13 | יְקַנֵּ֣א | yeqane | HVpi3ms |
will envy | he will be zealously aroused | will envy |
H7065-13 |
Ezekiel 31:9 | וַ/יְקַנְאֻ֨/הוּ֙ | vayeqaneuhu | HC/Vpw3mp/Sp3ms |
and-they-envied-him | they fiercely envied him | they fiercely envied him |
H7065-15 |
Ezekiel 39:25 | וְ/קִנֵּאתִ֖י | veqineti | HC/Vpq1cs |
and I will be jealous | and I acted zealously | and I acted zealously |
H7065-11 |
Joel 2:18 | וַ/יְקַנֵּ֥א | vayeqane | HC/Vpw3ms |
and became zealous | and he showed jealous zeal | and he showed jealous zeal |
H7065-07 |
Zechariah 1:14 | קִנֵּ֧אתִי | qineti | HVpp1cs |
I am jealous | I have been zealous | I am zealous |
H7065-07 |
Zechariah 8:2 | קִנֵּ֥אתִי | qineti | HVpp1cs |
I am jealous | I have been zealous | I have been zealous |
H7065-07 |
Zechariah 8:2 | קִנֵּ֥אתִי | qineti-2 | HVpp1cs |
I am jealous | I have been zealous | I have been zealous |
H7065-09 |
Psalms 37:1 | תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א | teqane | HVpj2ms |
be envious | may you be zealous | be envious |
H7065-07 |
Psalms 73:3 | קִ֭נֵּאתִי | qineti | HVpp1cs |
I envied | I have been zealous | I envied |
H7065-16 |
Psalms 78:58 | יַקְנִיאֽוּ/הוּ | yaqeniuhu | HVhi3mp/Sp3ms |
they aroused his jealousy | they will provoke him to zeal | they provoked him to jealousy |
H7065-12 |
Psalms 106:16 | וַ/יְקַנְא֣וּ | vayeqaneu | HC/Vpw3mp |
They envied | and they grew jealous | and they grew jealous |
H7065-09 |
Proverbs 3:31 | תְּ֭קַנֵּא | teqane | HVpj2ms |
envy | may you be zealous | be envious |
H7065-17 |
Proverbs 23:17 | יְקַנֵּ֣א | yeqane | HVpj3ms |
let envy | he will be zealously aroused | let be zealous |
H7065-09 |
Proverbs 24:1 | תְּ֭קַנֵּא | teqane | HVpj2ms |
be envious | may you be zealous | be envious |
H7065-09 |
Proverbs 24:19 | תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א | teqane | HVpj2ms |
be envious | may you be zealous | be envious |